Methyldopa
| Clinical data | |
|---|---|
| Trade names | Aldomet, Aldoril, Dopamet, others |
| Other names | α-Methyl-L-DOPA; α-Methyl-levodopa; α-Methyl-DOPA; L-α-Methyl-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine |
| AHFS/Drugs.com | Monograph |
| MedlinePlus | a682242 |
| License data |
|
| Pregnancy category |
|
| Routes of administration | By mouth, intravenous |
| ATC code | |
| Legal status | |
| Legal status | |
| Pharmacokinetic data | |
| Bioavailability | ~50% |
| Metabolism | Liver |
| Onset of action | 4–6 hours[1] |
| Elimination half-life | 105 minutes |
| Duration of action | 10–48 hours[1] |
| Excretion | Kidney for metabolites |
| Identifiers | |
IUPAC name
| |
| CAS Number |
|
| PubChem CID | |
| IUPHAR/BPS | |
| DrugBank | |
| ChemSpider | |
| UNII |
|
| KEGG | |
| ChEMBL | |
| CompTox Dashboard (EPA) | |
| ECHA InfoCard | 100.008.264 |
| Chemical and physical data | |
| Formula | C10H13NO4 |
| Molar mass | 211.217 g·mol−1 |
| 3D model (JSmol) | |
SMILES
| |
InChI
| |
| (what is this?) (verify) | |
Methyldopa, also known as α-methyl-L-DOPA and sold under the brand name Aldomet among others, is a medication used for high blood pressure.[1] It is one of the preferred treatments for high blood pressure in pregnancy.[1] For other types of high blood pressure including very high blood pressure resulting in symptoms other medications are typically preferred.[1] It can be given by mouth or injection into a vein.[1] Onset of effects is around 5 hours and they last about a day.[1]
Common side effects include sleepiness.[1] More severe side effects include red blood cell breakdown, liver problems, and allergic reactions.[1] Methyldopa is in the alpha-2 adrenergic receptor agonist family of medication. It works by stimulating the brain to decrease the activity of the sympathetic nervous system.[1]
Methyldopa was discovered in 1960.[2] It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines.[3]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Methyldopa". The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. Archived from the original on 21 December 2016. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
- ^ Walker RS (2012). Trends and Changes in Drug Research and Development. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 109. ISBN 9789400926592. Archived from the original on 2016-09-14.
- ^ World Health Organization (2019). World Health Organization model list of essential medicines: 21st list 2019. Geneva: World Health Organization. hdl:10665/325771. WHO/MVP/EMP/IAU/2019.06. License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.